French cinema in Moscow

by Fabien Lemercier

04/12/2003 - The 4th edition of the Festival of French Cinema will open today in Moscow. The festival is organized by Unifrance and the French Embassy. The festival will showcase nine films accompanied by numerous directors and actors to be presented at the Puchkinski and at the Writers’ House. This event emphasizes the success of French Art Week in Russia.

The Russian capital will host two young actresses who incarnate talent, charm and the future of national cinematography: Anna Mouglalis and Sylvie Testud. The latter will arrive together with Alain Corneau director of Stupeur et tremblements [trailer], which will be previewed in Moscow. But there will also be Coline Serreau with 18 ans après, and Jean-Paul Rappeneau who will arrive with Bon voyage [trailer], a French film nominated for the 2004 Oscars as Best Foreign Film. Other important presences include Claude Millerwith La Petite Lili and Francis Veber with Sta zitto…non rompere, which will open the festival. Among the other films programmed, Le papillon by Philippe Muylde, Dans ma peau [trailer] by Marina De Van, Snowboarder by Olias Barco and Mariées mais pas trop [trailer] byCatherine Corsini.

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Unifrance, the organization for the promotion of French cinema abroad has taken advantage of this occasion to highlight the growing success of French production in Russian cinemas: 1.5 million viewers in 2000, 2.46 million in 2001, and 2.69 million in 2002, with a total frequency of about 65 million filmgoers. With about 100 films sold every year in Russia, French cinema has a promising career ahead, as demonstrated by the December 25th release of Sta zitto … non rompere.

(Translated from French)